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8 min read
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4.5
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The Secret Sewing Society by Siobhan Curham Review: Gripping Dual-Timeline Historical Fiction Spanning Generations
Siobhan Curham's The Secret Sewing Society is a dual-timeline historical novel set in Ukraine — moving between the present day and World War Two — that follows a devastating family mystery and generations of women bound together across conflict and secrecy. Published by Bookouture on January 26, 2026, it has drawn an enthusiastic wave of early reader and blogger response, with reviewers describing it as heartbreaking, gripping, and emotionally resonant.
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for
Readers of emotionally driven multi-generational women's historical fiction — particularly fans of Evie Woods or Fiona Valpy — who want a propulsive family-mystery structure set against the deeply resonant backdrop of Ukraine across two wars.
Worth it if
Worth committing to if you want a 464-page novel that pairs topical urgency (the ongoing war in Ukraine) with deep historical roots in WW2, held together by the covert solidarities of women across generations.
Skip if
Skip it — or at least brace yourself — if you prefer historical fiction with a cooler emotional register, find sustained heartbreak demanding, or are looking for formally unconventional narrative structures rather than a well-crafted entry in the established dual-timeline tradition.
What readers & critics say
Early reader reception, reflected across blog tour stops and retailer pages, has been consistently enthusiastic: carlalovestoread.wordpress.com reports readers calling it "unforgettable," "totally gripping," and "utterly swept away," while amazon.co.uk surfaces Goodreads reviewers describing it as "a moving read that lingers" and "both heartbreaking and hopeful." Blogger drbethnolan.com notes the novel as "intriguing," capturing readers through its dual WW2-and-present-day Ukraine structure.
Sources: carlalovestoread.wordpress.com, amazon.co.uk, drbethnolan.com4.5from 2,594 Amazon ratings— reader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score
In This Review
- What Works & What Doesn't
- What the Novel Is and What It Covers
- Significance and Place in the Genre
- Strengths: Emotional Pull and Reader Response
- Genuine Limitations and Who May Be Challenged
- Who This Novel Is For
What Works & What Doesn't
What Works
- Dual-timeline structure connects WW2 Ukraine and the present-day conflict with emotional and thematic coherence, per the publisher's framing and blog tour coverage
- Consistent wave of enthusiastic early reader response across NetGalley, Goodreads, and blog tours, with reviewers praising its emotional resonance and narrative grip
- Written by an award-winning author with a strong editorial and journalistic background, including bylines in major outlets
- The Ukrainian setting — spanning two wars — gives the novel a topical urgency that goes beyond standard historical-fiction backdrops
- Designed for sustained readability across its 464-page length, with the family-mystery structure providing propulsive tension alongside emotional depth
What Doesn't
- The novel's sustained emotional intensity — multiple reviewers cite tears and heartbreak — means it demands a particular reading mood and may not suit readers seeking lighter fare
- Positioned firmly within the conventions of commercial multi-generational women's historical fiction; readers seeking formally unconventional narratives will find this a traditional entry in that subgenre
A sweeping, emotionally charged novel that ties the present-day war in Ukraine to the devastation of World War Two through the lives of women and the secrets they keep — and the dangers of uncovering them.
What the Novel Is and What It Covers
The Secret Sewing Society: An utterly gripping and heartbreaking historical novel full of family secrets by Siobhan Curham front cover
The Secret Sewing Society is a dual-timeline historical novel structured around two distinct eras: Ukraine during World War Two, and Ukraine in the present, where war has come again to the same city. At the centre is Ana, a woman navigating a contemporary conflict who is drawn into uncovering a family mystery rooted in wartime secrecy. The novel's central question — whether some wartime secrets are too dangerous to uncover — drives the dramatic tension across both timelines. The publisher describes it as "a sweeping, heartbreaking tale about a devastating family mystery, and generations of women coming together against the odds." Sewing, as both a domestic skill and a covert act, functions in the novel as the thread — literal and figurative — connecting women across generations and across war.
“a sweeping, heartbreaking tale about a devastating family mystery, and generations of women coming together against the odds.”
Significance and Place in the Genre
Curham is an award-winning author, ghostwriter, editor, and writing coach whose journalism has appeared in outlets including The Guardian, Cosmopolitan, and Breathe magazine. That professional range — spanning literary craft, journalism, and editorial work — informs a novel that takes an emotionally immediate subject (the ongoing war in Ukraine) and anchors it in deep historical context. The book positions itself within a well-established tradition of women's multi-generational historical fiction, and the publisher draws comparisons to the work of Evie Woods, Fiona Valpy, and the novel The Keeper of Happy Endings — signalling an audience already loyal to emotionally immersive, family-secrets-driven narratives set against the backdrop of major twentieth-century conflicts. The choice of Ukraine — a country whose World War Two trauma and present-day war are both profoundly relevant — gives the novel an urgency that distinguishes it from more distantly historical treatments of the genre.
Strengths: Emotional Pull and Reader Response
Early reader response, reflected across blog tour stops and reader reviews, has been notably strong. On NetGalley, one reader described it as "one I will remember… gripping… I choked up." Goodreads reviewers called it "both heartbreaking and hopeful" and "a moving read that lingers." Reader Cindy L. Spear awarded it five stars, writing that it "dug deep into my heart… left me breathless." Blogger emthebookworm called it "awe inspiring, heartbreaking and compelling," while Inspiredbypmdd described it as "an emotional ride… Incredible." What emerges across this early reception is consistent: the novel is designed to deliver sustained emotional impact, and readers report that it does. The dual-timeline structure — a familiar device in this genre — is noted by blog tour reviewers as working effectively here, described as a "wonderful multi-generational story" that spans both eras without losing momentum.
Genuine Limitations and Who May Be Challenged
Readers less drawn to emotionally intense or openly tearful fiction should approach with clear expectations. Multiple reviewers across platforms reference needing tissues and being moved to tears, and reviewer Inspiredbypmdd specifically flagged the emotional weight as "an emotional ride." The subject matter — women living through active war in Ukraine, layered against WW2 atrocities and a buried family secret — is inherently heavy, and the novel does not appear, based on the publisher's framing, to soften that weight. Readers who prefer historical fiction that keeps emotional temperature cooler, or who find dual-timeline structures demanding, may find the novel's sustained intensity requires a particular reading mood. Additionally, because the novel is positioned squarely within a defined commercial subgenre (multi-generational women's historical fiction), readers seeking formally experimental or unconventional narrative structures will likely find this a more traditional entry in that tradition.
Who This Novel Is For
The Secret Sewing Society is aimed squarely at readers of emotionally driven women's historical fiction — specifically those who respond to narratives in which the domestic lives and covert solidarities of women become the true story beneath the headline of war. The comparisons the publisher draws to Evie Woods and Fiona Valpy are useful guides: if those authors' work resonates, Curham's novel is built on compatible foundations. The Ukrainian setting — spanning WW2 and the present conflict — makes it a timely read, and the family-mystery structure gives it propulsive readability alongside its emotional weight. At 464 pages, it offers substantial immersion for readers who want a novel they can truly live inside for an extended stretch.
Frequently Asked Questions
is The Secret Sewing Society: An utterly gripping by Siobhan Curham worth reading
If you're a fan of emotionally driven, multi-generational women's historical fiction, it's very much worth your time. Early readers on NetGalley and Goodreads described it as 'one I will remember… gripping' and 'both heartbreaking and hopeful,' and reader Cindy L. Spear wrote that it 'dug deep into my heart… left me breathless.' That said, go in knowing this is an intense, emotionally heavy read — not a light pick-up-and-put-down book.
What is this book actually about
It's a dual-timeline historical novel set in Ukraine, moving between World War Two and the present-day conflict, centred on a woman named Ana who uncovers a devastating family mystery rooted in wartime secrecy. The novel's driving question — whether some wartime secrets are too dangerous to uncover — connects both eras, with sewing functioning as both a domestic skill and a covert act that literally and figuratively threads generations of women together across war.
Is this book similar to books by Fiona Valpy or Evie Woods
Yes, and that's exactly the comparison the publisher makes — they specifically name Evie Woods and Fiona Valpy, as well as The Keeper of Happy Endings, as reference points. The review notes these comparisons are 'useful guides': if those authors' work resonates with you, Curham's novel is 'built on compatible foundations,' sharing the emotionally immersive, family-secrets-driven structure set against major twentieth-century conflict.
How emotionally heavy is this book — will it make me cry
Very likely, yes — multiple reviewers across platforms reference needing tissues. Blogger emthebookworm called it 'awe inspiring, heartbreaking and compelling,' and Inspiredbypmdd specifically flagged it as 'an emotional ride.' The subject matter — women living through active war in Ukraine layered against WW2 atrocities and a buried family secret — is inherently heavy, and the review notes the novel 'does not appear to soften that weight.'
Does the dual timeline in this book work well or is it confusing
Blog tour reviewers found it works effectively, describing it as a 'wonderful multi-generational story' that spans both eras without losing momentum. The dual-timeline structure is a familiar device in this genre, and the review notes that the two timelines — WW2-era Ukraine and the present-day conflict — complement rather than compete with each other, driven by the central mystery of whether some wartime secrets are too dangerous to uncover.
Is this book too long at 464 pages
At 464 pages it's a substantial commitment, but the review frames that as a feature for the right reader rather than a flaw — it 'offers substantial immersion for readers who want a novel they can truly live inside for an extended stretch.' If you prefer shorter, faster reads or find sustained emotional intensity draining, that's worth factoring in; but readers already loyal to the multi-generational women's historical fiction genre are unlikely to find it overlong.
Should i read this book if i don't usually read war fiction
It depends on what puts you off war fiction — if it's cold military detail, this novel may actually suit you, because the story is centred on the domestic lives and covert solidarities of women, not battlefield action. The review describes it as a book where women's lives 'become the true story beneath the headline of war.' However, if heavy emotional subject matter is the concern, be aware that the Ukrainian setting — spanning WW2 atrocities and the present conflict — means the novel carries real weight throughout.
Sources & Further Reading
The key facts and claims in this review are grounded in the retrieved, verified sources listed below.
- Cited in this review
- 1
- 2
- Further reading
- 3
- 4
fantasticfiction.com
- 5
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